More progress this weekend. Last weekend I was in San Francisco for my sister-in-law-to-be's bridal shower and a friend's 40th anniversary party (two parties, one weekend, now that's a trip I can justify!). I spent several hours yesterday and today filling the last of the cores in the stand and the elevated herb garden. Today I got to start the fun stuff--applying the stacked stone veneer to the garden bed! I've never been one for jigsaw puzzles, but this was very satisfying. I'll post pictures as soon as smugmug is up and running again.

I wore my heart rate monitor today as I was working, out of curiosity. I burned 1600 calories working today. Who needs the gym? I should just become a mason.

Yep, the stand, the wing with the prep surface, and the pony wall that will go behind the grill will all be faced in the same stone. I haven't figured out what to do with the curved seating wall and fire-pit. There's no way I can make this stuff work on a curve.

omg...this really does look like fun. What was that you said "over do"?
Not for AZ. I loved the outdoor living during the winter I spent there. Because of the climate its really rather practical.
Berryst

The way I've heard the term "pony wall" used is to describe a low wall designed to divide a space, not a structural wall. So it might not be exactly appropriate to use the term in an outside context, but it fit the description otherwise, so I'm sticking with it.

I'm back from nearly two weeks away at my brother-in-law's wedding. I made the cake, so we drove to San Francisco about a week ahead of time to give me enough time to work. The actual wedding cake turned out a bit wonky, but I managed to pull it together reasonably well. Let's just say that an enthusiastically helpful father-of-the-bride, lots of tequila, a center dowel, and a mallet don't mix all that well. But it was free and it tasted good, so they couldn't complain. ;-)

Groom's cake:

Wedding cake:

This evening I was able to get a little bit of progress made. I built wooden supports to go under the backerboard and cut the backerboard to size. I got a neighbor with metal-working skills to drill an extra hole in a steel brace that will span the gap and provide extra support. I'm ready to build the form and pour the hearth. I'm going to try to do that sometime this week, while DH is off at U. Illinois on business.

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